Seeker of Magic
by Adelain
Summary: The Kaldorei Empire is at its height. Queen Azshara, beloved by all the Kaldorei, has a group of Highbourne known as seekers who investigate magic among the other civilizations of Kalimdor. Zerran Moonkiss is one of these seekers, and Azshara has a special mission for him, one that will take him to the summit of Mount Hyjal.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The Light of Lights had called Zerran from his last mission. He had been investigating the primitive magics of the tauren but hadn't discovered much of interest. They had spoken to him of following the path of the Earth Mother and through her to access the powers of the elements, but Zerran respected only the powers of Elune and the Well of Eternity. 

He had forced a smile when the tauren had presented their magic, but he had been overjoyed when a messenger had arrived with a letter from Queen Azshara who would have her "darling seeker" return to Zin-Azshari to receive his new missive. He waited now outside her audience chamber, waited for her to summon him.

Lady Vashj sat with him. The handmaiden reclined on the chair in front of his and watched him with a dispassionate smile. She watched him from her curved feline eyes and twirled a strand of her silver hair absentmindedly. She had asked him about his time among the Tauren, but she had hardly seemed interested when he had told her about his experience.

Zerran found that many of the Kaldorei who served the queen became like this. They had eyes for only her, and the rest of their people seemed like lesser beings hardly worth noticing. He may have been a Highbourne, but he still enjoyed the city at night and interacting with the commoners. They added a spice to life he found so rarely in the palace.

Vashj tilted her head as if listening to a far-off voice. Her smile became genuine. "The Light of Lights will see you now." She stood and led him to the door.

It opened into Queen Azshara's audience chamber. The queen relaxed on a couch, her shimmering, gossamer dress draped around her body like moonlight. He wondered for a second if it would fall off if she rose from where she was sitting but shook off the notion as he bowed low to his beloved queen.

"Zerran Moonkiss," Azshara purred. "Your name rolls off the tongue so wonderfully. I have heard your mother tell a thousand times how Elune herself appeared in a dream to your ancestor to give him that kiss and her mandate."

Zerran did not rise, not while his queen had not given him the command.

"Rise." Azshara sat up on her couch, letting Zerran know that soon would come the important details of his next missive.

He rose and felt his breath catch in his throat as he gazed upon his queen. He could sense the magic around her, how she kept the powers of the Well of Eternity so close to her, clinging to it like a child to its mother. He could only wish to be able to wield so much power so effortlessly.

"What is your command, Light of a Thousand Moons, Favored Daughter of the Moon?" Zerran asked.

"It would seem from what Lady Vashj has told me that you found yourself bored among the tauren," she continued. "It is for this reason that I wish for you to undertake a task of utmost importance to me, something that no one else must know about."

Zerran's gaze wandered to Vashj.

The handmaiden scowled. "Do you doubt my loyalty?" she asked, aghast.

Azshara waved her hand. "I would trust Lady Vashj with my life, seeker," she said. "Now, the task I have for you is to wander onto Mount Hyjal. Elune and the Well of Eternity have shown me a vision. There is an object there of power, one that would increase the influence of our empire."

"Why must no one else know?" He kept his head bowed as he asked the question. It did not usually do well to question the queen.

"Councilor Xavius disapproves of my interest in Mount Hyjal." She gestured to him with a finger and leaned forward, a grin decorating her curved lips. "But between you and me, Xavius is a short-sighted fool." She leaned back into her couch. "Still, he would find a way to make this difficult for me, so I will give you the missive in secret. Do not disappoint."

"But my queen what is it that I seek?"

Azshara rose from her couch, and Vashj rushed to aid her. Her dress did not fall, but it left just enough of her body visible, cut along the side and with a deep neckline. She regarded him with her amber eyes, a smile curving her lips upward.

"You will know it when you see it." She turned to leave, but she paused. "Lady Vashj, would you give him something that I can use to communicate with him?"

The handmaiden nodded. "It will be as you say, Light of Lights."

Azshara gave him one last smile and exited through the door. Her long, silver hair draped down her back like a waterfall.

"What is it you will give me?" Zerran asked the handmaiden.

She walked over to a shelf in the audience chamber and took a small box off it. She handed him an earring from the box. "Wear this and Queen Azshara will be able to communicate with you if she wishes. You will not be able to speak to the queen." She spoke the last words as if she felt it necessary to remind him of his place.

"You don't have to worry about me, Lady Vashj," Zerran said. "The queen will not be bothered by her best seeker."

The handmaiden only gave him a disapproving glare.

Zerran watched as the bartender poured him a glass of red wine. He savored the sound it made as it fell from the bottle. Tauren had more of a penchant for smoking, something that Zerran had always detested, and he had never heard of a tribe planting a vineyard.

"You weren't gone very long this time," Illeni the bartender said. "I thought you would have spent more time being bored by tauren. You usually don't give up that easily."

"I decided it was time for a vacation of sorts, time to do my own research." He often came to this same bar after his travel. It was the place he knew he could always find Nimel.

Illeni handed him the glass of wine. "You'll appreciate this vintage. I saved it just for you."

A hand appeared out of nowhere and took the glass of wine before Zerran could react. He turned with a scowl on his face that softened when he saw the person next to him.

Nimel gave him a half-grin and downed the glass of wine in one gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "It truly is an excellent vintage."

Zerran punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Illeni had that saved specifically for me."

Nimel leaned forward, his grin becoming more ferocious. "What's yours is mine, isn't it, my star?" 

Zerran tugged on Nimel's blue beard. "Who gave you permission to grow this?"

"I don't need anyone's permission." His voice became huskier. He smelled of the woods and earthy things.

A thud on the counter interrupted them. Zerran turned to see Illeni shaking her head. Her white braid moved with her. "Your room is the first on the left." She handed Zerran a key. "Don't make too much of a mess of it."

Zerran found it difficult to keep his hands off Nimel as they stumbled up the stairs. Neither of them had had much to drink, but that didn't keep them from stumbling into walls as they kissed each other.

Someone kept trying to go down the stairs, but Nimel seemed to amuse himself by blocking his every path. Finally, the other Kaldorei rolled his eyes and walked back to his room.

Nimel laughed.

"You're cruel," Zerran said. 

"More fun that way."

They finally stumbled into their room and made right for the bed. Nimel tore off Zerran's tunic, buttons flew across the room. Zerran swore quietly. The tunic had not been cheap.

"Just enjoy it," Nimel whispered in his ear. He made a gesture with his hand and the lights in the room dimmed. "I would have you like this every night if it were possible."

"Just enjoy it," Zerran mimicked and drew Nimel close to him, intertwining his tongue with his.

The first sound Zerran heard as he awoke was Nimel's voice. He was singing a lullaby, something Zerran's mother had sung to him as a child. Zerran stretched as he sat up in the bed. Nightfall had come. It was time for him to depart to Mount Hyjal soon.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and opened them to see Nimel sitting on a couch, strumming a lyre, and singing softly. Nimel smiled when he saw that Zerran was awake, but he did not stop singing.

Zerran let his gaze wander over his lover's body. Nimel was still completely naked. He had a slender form, a mage like Zerran and not one for too much physical exercise. He kept his blue hair short but had started going a beard since Zerran had gone to study the tauren. Zerran smirked when he noticed the bite mark he had left on Nimel's shoulder.

"I wish I could wake up like this every nightfall," Zerran said, interrupting Nimel's song.

"Stay here for a time," Nimel said. "I heard you tell Illeni that Queen Azshara had given you no missive this time."

The lie would have to be kept. The queen had forbidden him from telling anyone of what he was to do, but he couldn't keep himself from telling Nimel one thing.

"I wish to get to Mount Hyjal," Zerran said. "There is magic there that I wish to understand."

"Mount Hyjal?" Nimel's eyebrows curved upward. "That place is crawling with wild animals. I've heard of many Kaldorei disappearing into Ashenvale. What magic would draw you there?"

Zerran remembered the stories as well. Kaldorei had always looked on the Ashenvale forest and Mount Hyjal with fear. "It is nature magic and divine," he said, "something akin to what Elune's priestesses wield. Knowledge of it would be a great boon to my research."

Nimel scowled. "So, you would rather trek through this untamed, uncomfortable wilderness than spend time with me?"

An idea struck Zerran, one he wasn't even sure he should say aloud. "And what if you came with me?"

Nimel hesitated. "I don't know. My work with the Moon Guard isn't something I can just put on pause. I have command of my own corps…"

"It shouldn't take long." Zerran leaned forward. "We can treat it as a holiday."

"Something like camping?" Nimel asked with a laugh. He clapped his hands. "I think I will take you up on that offer. It is high time I had some adventure. When do we leave?"

"Tonight," Zerran said.

"It'll take me some time to pack."

They met later that night on the outskirts of Zin-Azshari. Zerran had visited his parents before he left. His mother had fawned over and him and had asked him repeatedly when he would settle down in the city, so she could find him a suitable wife.

Now, he sat on a nightsaber at the western gate. Nimel sat on a night saber beside him, giving one last wistful look at Zin-Azshari. 

"I better enjoy this adventure as much as you seem to think I will," he said.

"We will just have to see," Zerran replied.

#

Zaragosa inhaled deeply as she flew over the city of Zin-Azshari, enjoying the scents of arcane magic that emanated from it. She had wandered into it herself before in the form of a Kaldorei. The moonlit streets and the simple spells cast by the people around her made her laugh in delight. They knew little of the intricacies of the arcane, but their curiosity and passion reminded Zara of her own blue dragonflight.

She had even approached Azshara's palace once, curious to get a sight of the Kaldorei's beloved queen. The sight of her had given Zara pause. Before her was a mortal who knew the arcane intimately. The queen would be hard pressed against any dragon of course, but she wore the arcane like one of her silver dresses. It was the first time that Zara had seen the like.

The Kaldorei had come far ever since their ancestors had settled near the Well of Eternity. The dragonflights observed with little interest. They had seen empires rise and fall already, but Zara couldn't help being personally fascinated by them. Against Malygos's wishes, she had even taught them a few magic techniques.

The sight of it below her filled her with awe, like that of a parent for their children. She wondered what they could achieve. She wished she could land even for a few hours, but Malygos wished her to explore a strange occurrence on Mount Hyjal. There was magic being cast there, magic of whose origin the blue aspect was unsure of.

She glided on the air currents, letting them propel her forward. If she kept going at this pace, she would be on Mount Hyjal by dawn.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The trees of Ashenvale loomed all around them. Zerran and Nimel rode their nightsabers slowly throughout the night. It had been a week since they left Zin-Azshari and two days since they had left the last Kaldorei city. Now, their world was the trees and the darkness.

"It's pretty," Nimel said. "I didn't think I would like it this much."

Moonlight filtered through the trees creating an elegant dance of light and shadows to their eyes. "I don't think we're alone," Zerran whispered.

Nimel looked at him. "What do you mean?"

A third nightsaber followed them carrying their supplies. The large cat stopped suddenly and snarled into the darkness. The other nightsabers seemed tense, but Zerran and Nimel kept them calm. Zerran closed his eyes and opened himself up to the world around him. A presence kept touching upon his mind. It was magical in nature, magic like what hung constantly around the forest and its trees.

"It's something native to this forest," he replied. He remembered the stories that the priestesses of Elune would tell of the nature spirits that lived around Mount Hyjal. Some of the Sisterhood still worshiped them. Queen Azshara had let that fall out of favor in Zin-Azshari.

"I never put much stake into this nature magic," Nimel said. "The Well of Eternity is a greater font of power." Arcane energy glowed around him.

"What are you doing?" Zerran hissed. He could sense the presence coming closer.

"I'm just showing whatever is watching us that we are not afraid of it," Nimel said with a savage grin.

It faded when laughter came out of the trees. It was high and girlish.

"Show yourself!" Nimel called out. The arcane energy collected into his hand.

Out of the trees came a four-legged, deer-like figure, but where its head should be, was a Kaldorei torso, head, and arms. A woman looked at them with a mischievous grin. Small antlers grew out of her head, and a mane of green hair fell over her shoulder. She carried a spear in one hand.

Nimel threw the burst of arcane energy at the creature. It blasted the tress around it. Splinters flew into the air, but the creature stood undisturbed. She glanced at the splintered trees and scowled.

"My father will make you answer for that," she said.

In a flash, Zerran remembered what the creature was. He had come upon a description of them in his research long ago. She was a dryad, a spirit of the forest, a daughter of Cenarius, and the arcane had no effect on her.

"We mean no harm." Zerran gave Nimel a pointed look. The other Kaldorei let the arcane energy diffuse around him.

"It doesn't matter whether or not you mean it." The dryad glared at them. "You Kaldorei are reckless and have caused it all the same." She waved her free hand. A breeze blew through the wood. Behind the dryad, pollen coalesced into a thick, yellow cloud that blew into Nimel and Zerran's faces.

For a moment, Zerran tried to hold his breath, but it was too much. He inhaled the pollen and felt consciousness slip away from him.

#

Zaragosa watched from the trees as Lunara took the two Kaldorei captive. The dryad was a vicious defender of the forest, but she never acted without her father's blessing. The demi-god Cenarius must be near then and just as concerned over the signs of arcane in Mount Hyjal as Malygos had been.

As for the Kaldorei, she had gleaned from their conversations that they sought magic in the land. She wondered if their queen had sent them, or if they acted alone. She remained cloaked to magical and physical detection as she followed Lunara in mortal form: a night elven figure moving surely through the trees. With a touch, the dryad had convinced the night elves' nightsabers to follow her.

If Lunara was headed to where Zaragosa believed she went, then this would be an opportunity for her to meet with Cenarius.

#

Zerran struggled to leave his slumber, and as he did, he remembered why it had fallen over him so heavily. The dryad had cast some spell on him and Nimel, something connected to nature magic.

He sat up and saw that Nimel slept beside him. They were in a clearing encircled by trees. He could feel a presence in the trees, magic that imprisoned them. Out of curiosity, he tried to cast a simple spell, one that would summon a light, but he couldn't grasp the power of the Well of Eternity that flowed all around them. He swore.

Nimel moved on the ground. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "What happened?" he asked.

"You made one of the more powerful denizens of the forest angry at us." Zerran stood now and walked toward the circle of trees. A dread filled him as he walked close to them. Something would keep him within the circle not matter what he might try to do.

"How was I supposed to know that magic wouldn't even touch her?" Nimel joined Zerran and slipped his hand into his. "You're the one who is supposed to be all-knowing. You should have warned me."

"You acted too quickly," Zerran said. "I barely had time to think."

"You are awake." A deep, rumbling voice startled them. It came from the trees. A soft, green glow appeared before them, and it materialized into an enormous being. Like the dryad, it stood on a deer-like body, but it too carried a night elven body. Only this one was that of a muscled man. A beard covered his face. One of his hands was night elven in form, the other was clawed like tree branch.

Zerran didn't know whether he should bow or attempt to fight the demi-god. For this could only be the legendary Cenarius, child of Elune. Cenarius's gaze betrayed no emotion as he gazed at the Kaldorei.

"Why have you brought us before you, lord of the forests?" Zerran asked. He squeezed Nimel's hand. The other Kaldorei had grown silent.

"I brought you before me to inquire about the reckless use of arcane in my forests," Cenarius said. "My daughter believed that you could be at the root of it, but I am not so sure. The Kaldorei may have knowledge of the Well of Eternity, but you do not yet know all of its secrets."

"We could help you." Zerran bowed his head as he spoke. "Our queen is curious about the arcane energies on the mountain. She would have us investigate them, and this could prove a service to you as well."

Cenarius looked at Zerran more closely. "You have a silver tongue, Kaldorei, but I do not think that you would do anything in service to me. You have only one master." Cenarius raised his clawed hand. "The trees will have you, and you will become another cautionary tale to keep the Kaldorei from defiling my forests."

Tree roots shot out of the ground and wrapped around Zerran and Nimel's arms and waists. They struggled against them. Zerran tried to summon fire, but he wasn't strong enough to succeed against the demi-god's magic. May Queen Azshara forgive him for his failure.

But the roots grew cold suddenly and frost spread over them. He felt their strength leave them and Zerran pulled free of them. Cenarius looked surprised and looked around them.

"Show yourself, child of Malygos," Cenarius called out.

"Gladly." The light shimmered, and a Kaldorei woman appeared in between Cenarius and Zerran. Her hair was a brilliant blue like ice, and she wore a shimmering silver dress. It could only be a powerful sorceress, but Zerran didn't recognize her voice or the name Malygos.

"Why are you interfering in my realm, dragon?" Cenarius asked.

 _Dragon_. That is what the being was, not a Kaldorei woman but a being of power of magic itself. There was little that Zerran had learned about dragons. He had only seen them in drawings, heard stories of Kaldorei mages defeated in seconds, and she was protecting them from a demi-god.

"Malygos sensed the magic on Mount Hyjal, and he has sent one of his own to investigate," the dragon said. "These night elves are under my protection. Together, we will discover what has been conducting experiments within your sacred woods."

Cenarius looked at her with curiosity. "You would vouch for them?"

"I do."

The demi-god stood silent. His arms relaxed at his side. "The arcane power in Mount Hyjal hides itself from us. I cannot go near it, and some of my children have been lost. You will have my thanks if you can discover who is behind it." He faded into the same green light in which he had appeared in.

The threat that Zerran had felt in the trees disappeared. Nature was once again at rest. The dragon spun around to face the Kaldorei. She had fine features but instead of silvery, pupiless eyes, hers were blue, icy like her hair.

"That was close." The dragon smiled slightly. "He has such a temper whenever someone blasts apart a few of his trees."

"Who are you?" Zerran asked. "Do you have a name?"

"My name is Zaragosa," the dragon said. "I am of the blue dragonflight. I am excited to have made your acquaintance, Zerran and Nimel."

"How do you know our names?" Nimel cried out.

"I have watched you for a few days now," Zaragosa said. "You have been the only interesting thing that has happened in these woods. I think the trees have tried to speak to me, but I don't know their language. I leave that to Ysera and her kind."

Zerran put a hand on Nimel's shoulder. He wrapped his other arm around his waist and pulled him near him. "Calm down," he whispered into his lover's ear. "She wants to help us."

"We almost died," Nimel hissed back. "She's a dragon. She could kill us with a twitch of her finger."

"I wouldn't kill you," Zaragosa said.

Zerran held up his hand. The dragon didn't say anything else.

"I need to tell you something," Zerran said. "It's about my mission here."

Nimel drew away from him, eyes wide. "You lied to me."

"I had to." Zerran's hands came up to his brow. "I was forbidden from telling you. Queen Azshara had a vision. She wanted me to investigate the arcane energies here. I agreed, and I wanted to spend more time with you, so I asked you to come."

Nimel drew Zerran in, his arm around the other's waist. "Just swear to keep me safe," he whispered into his ear.

"I won't let anyone stop me."

Zaragosa cleared her throat. "That's very touching, but we have an unknown mage to deal with. And the faster we act the less of a chance there will be that Cenarius is angered at us."

\- 7 -


End file.
